The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-11
EVILS OF HOTEL LIFE.
A Few Suggestions Submitted by Ex-
Senator Conkling.

| Senator Conkling.
New YORK, July 9.-Ex-Senator Roscoe
Conkling is very seldom seen around public
places nowadays. Particularly is this the
case at night time. He has a great dread
| of visiting hotel corridors, where he was
once such a conspicuous figure. | saw him
in the Hoffman House a few days ago for
the first time in many months, and he had
no sooner made his appearance than he was
| surrounded by group of admirers. He
| took particular pains to let it be known
that he was there upon business, and that
! had it not been OF most urgent character
! he would have avoided it, as it brought him
t9 a place that he held in absolute abhor-
renee.
ut will seem strange, gentlemen" he
said, "that !, who have been in public life
so long, should say that hate to be seen in
| this public place, but it is fact. l think
that any man who will keep out of these
| places, except when he has business will be
| much happier. / dislike to see man hang
ing around these public resorts for it creates
the impression that he has nothing better
| TO do
Here he raised his hat and brushed back
! his Hyperion curl, which is favorite habit
of his, and turned to a well-knOwn charac-
ter, who is always conspicuous about the
| hotel corridors, and said in q half joking
manner: 81 am ashamed of you. Why
are you not good like meI Get a room in a
| quiet neighborhood instead of fooling away
your time around hcre-read or do some
thing that is useful. Nothing hurts a man
more in the eyes of business men than being
continually before the public gaze. If you
would once follow my example you would
learn that this hotel life is "a miserable one "
The ex-senator again paused to toy with
his Hyperion curl and then abruptly added ::
Good night, gentlemen: [ have been here
too long already" and beat "A hasty retreat.
/ could not help bordering over what
had heard Mr.. Conkling say, and the more
| did so the more ! was impressed with the
wisdom of his remarks.
Still, passing the evening around the hotel
is considered by many to be a very fasci-
mating feature Of New York life Many
prominent men seem to think it a great
thing to be a favorite around the hotels and
cafes, and to have their company sought
after by this one and that; but it eventually
means ruin to nine men out OF ten if they
continue it. Prominent men who come to
New York to live usually pass the nights of
their first years residence about those places,
and they would feel lonely anywhere else
This was the case with Col Ingersoll when
he first came here Then there is a popular
impression that the extensive acquaintance
that can be acquired by frequenting the
hotel lobby can be turned to great advan-
tage. Besides, the society of prominent men
is greatly sought after i'll these resorts, and
this naturally appeals to a mans vanity 1t
adds to the fascination of the life and with
wine and late suppers, which are the rule,
the average man is apt to become dissi-
pated.
A prOmin ent young business man came
here afew years ago from Western city to
a position at the head of a large corporation
and got into the swim with the hotel crowd
This resulted in his keeping late hours and
neglecting his business. He came near
meeting financial ruin, and when he needed
assistance it was not the hotel acquaintance
who proffered it to him Indeed they gave
him the cold shoulder. He is on his feet
again, but is a stranger to the hotels.
Prominent actors are great victims to this
butterfly existence. One winter of this life
came near being the death of Nat c. Good
win, and the other day he sailed for Europe
in hopes of regaining his health. During
his engagement here last winter there was
always a crowd running after him who re-
garded him in the light of a hero. Almost
every night at the close of his performance
he was induced to sit down to a late supper
at one of the hotels while he told funny sto-
| ries Harry Dixie used to be conspicuous
figure about public places, and there was no
end of people who sought introductions but
he was finally smart enough to avoid these
places like the sensible man he is.
HARRY WALKER.